(CNN) - Reacting to the South Carolina Supreme Court's ruling that he must take $700 million in federal stimulus funds dedicated to education, Gov. Mark Sanford said Thursday he will abide by the court's decision and sign paperwork requesting the money on Monday.

But Sanford, a possible 2012 presidential candidate, also called the ruling "terribly flawed" and said the decision reinforced his long-held belief that South Carolina's political system places too much authority in the hands of the state legislature.

"We have a fundamentally flawed governmental structure that impedes and hurts progress in the state of South Carolina, and by extension impedes and hurts the quality of peoples' lives in South Carolina," he said at a press conference in Columbia.

Pointing to California as an example of "an absolute disaster case when it comes to fiscal stewardship," Sanford lamented that his state missed a chance to show other states "a different way than simply taking this money and spending it."

Still, he called the prolonged fight over the money an "incredibly important debate" over the balance of power and taxpayer rights.

soundoff(101 Responses)

jimmy-ohio

hmmmm,,,a republican who thinks a legislature has too much power. sound familiar?

June 4, 2009 08:29 pm at 8:29 pm |

Karen

As a parent of an out-of-state student attending a state college in South Carolina, I am glad to know that Gov. Sanford will be forced to sign legislation to accept the stimulus money for his state. I just received a letter from the president of my daughter's institution concerning the real need for a tuition hike. In the letter, the president cited Gov. Sanford's refusal to accept the stimulus money as a significant factor in having to request the tuition increase. When one person chooses to jeopardize progress for many, there is cause for alarm. Kudos to State Supreme Court for understanding that politics has no place in the decisions regarding people in need.

June 4, 2009 08:40 pm at 8:40 pm |

TESAP;SAVANNAH, GA

What else could he do, yes what he wanted to do, cut out Medicaid, let unemployement run out and comletely let his state down. A 2012 contender hey.....somehow I think this will come up

June 4, 2009 08:51 pm at 8:51 pm |

David

The people he was 'hired' to serve had to sue him to make him do his job. Do we see the trend here: Republican Govenors, Republican President...Financial disaster, huge debt, war, death, high crime rates, fear, hate. And what's up with the upside down 5-pointed star on the GOP Logo???

Even people from his own state won't vote for him now, so what makes him think anyone else would waste their vote on a presidential election? Go Republicans!!

June 4, 2009 08:59 pm at 8:59 pm |

ttofast70@comcast.net

You are terribly flawed. Why don't you just seceed!!!!

June 4, 2009 09:20 pm at 9:20 pm |

Lee in TN

What a jerk! This guy is always putting the wealthy in his state over education and every other program that can help those less fortunate. A neo-con republican of the worst sort.

June 4, 2009 09:30 pm at 9:30 pm |

Texas Doc

Why does he hate democracy so much? Isn't that unAmerican? He is a traitor and coward. Wrap yourself in some other flag. Ours is too good for you.

June 4, 2009 09:40 pm at 9:40 pm |

Harry

It's just like Sarah Palin said, the government wants to raise up to maximum possible debt levels to "control the Public". Why do you think Bush had to secretly enact legislation to authorize internment camps and all the illegal wiretapping he did? The Patriot Act to take away as many indvidual personal freedoms, and made it much easier to declare martial law in America? It is because the impending financial collapse that he engineered will cause millions of people to lose their homes. Then, there could be mass revolts across America, already bogged down and burdened with increasing state tax burden. If you don't believe it, read his own CIA's assessments. It shows that there will be mass instability in the country as the recession gets far worse in 2011 & 2012. Will the government set up the internment camps to deal with the financial collapse and anarchy that's to come, I don't know. Will the government go ahead with its planned RFID implant system, I really don't know that either. You better hope not.

June 4, 2009 09:42 pm at 9:42 pm |

We Love Sarah

I don't believe CNN will publish this. But it is unbelievable how stupid this fellow is. He places money over people's lives. When the state had over 800 million dollars of surplus for unemployment, he force lowering taxes that paid for the program; and never believed that hard times could hit us. Now, after HIS mis-management he is angry because he wants to take barrowed money to pay back barrowed money.

Looking out for the people in the state isn't important. Just paying back money to the federal government that will NEVER ask for the money. In other words, I will pay you back the money you will never ask for with the money that I never asked for. In-the-mean-time to h3ll with the people who look to him for help when they need it.

This seriously wants to lead the whole nation with this philosophy?! If he thinks that the state legistration is too powerful, what will he say about congress??

June 4, 2009 09:55 pm at 9:55 pm |

Wolves 4 Palin Charlotte, NC

Well at least his court appointees have a brain.

June 4, 2009 09:55 pm at 9:55 pm |

Liberal4Obama

Sanford needs to stop playing politics with his constituents lives

June 4, 2009 09:57 pm at 9:57 pm |

lema

whatever you call yourself,I,ve been reading for awhile and I,ve realized that you are only full of hate for our very bright president but you are surely as stupid as most of your repugs fanatics that graduated last in their class.you just don,t get it.America is better than all your hate and God ds nt luv ugly.Stop pretending to be Christians when you are full of hate.Remember what happened to Paul on his way to damascus(oh!u don,t bc u are so out of touch);it,s gonna happen to you one of these days.stop persecuting our president. U can disagree without calling him names.He is you prez whether u like it or not so u can go hang yourself.I,m sick and tired of your obsesses self.Continue being pessimistic n the boat of recovery will leave u behind.To the optimistics,get ready, the wave of recovery is gathering momentum to blow

June 4, 2009 09:59 pm at 9:59 pm |

Charisma

OMG, i totally love this! You gotta do what you gotta do gov...lol!

June 4, 2009 10:00 pm at 10:00 pm |

New Yorker

Come on people/sheeple; you really must understand there is something very wrong when a state is forced into taking bailout money. Will you all follow blindly into the abyss?

June 4, 2009 10:04 pm at 10:04 pm |

ThinkAboutI

Yet another Republican jerk putting his delusional 2012 Presidential hopes ahead of the needs of his constituents.

June 4, 2009 10:12 pm at 10:12 pm |

BORN IN SC

Mark Sanford is a total idiot he is the main reason why the young generation is leaving SC he is a racist and a thief have you all see how he is living and his family he needs to be audited by someone that is not his golfing buddy. The state of SC is going under and will really be a ghost State. Mark S. needs to be treated bad like he is treated the good citizens of SC. SC is a confederate state one of the biggest and if they continue to have people like Mark Sanford running the state something bad will happen within the state all of my relatives have guns that are registered and ready for anything to pop off.

June 4, 2009 10:13 pm at 10:13 pm |

Citizen

What is wrong with taking the money for the children's education in his state; this is publics money and is for the public's benefit. Governor should be delighted, and be sure that the normal allocated money for education in NOT reduced. On top of this, the top few layers of public leaders (actually servents) should give themselves a paycut to help with the current economic crunch.

June 4, 2009 10:21 pm at 10:21 pm |

Moody

Hahahaha... You got owned Sanford!

June 4, 2009 10:22 pm at 10:22 pm |

ShiWms. PHX AZ

Sir...we are talking about improving the foundation of education for our children nothing else. Dont keep saying were putting our children it debt. I call it an INVESTMENT for our FUTURE generations. Get beyond your past and start looking to a prosperous future for the children. Have a little HOPE...two ears one mouth...try listening twice as hard as you talk...

June 4, 2009 10:23 pm at 10:23 pm |

Ruty

I knew all along he would take the money. He just wanted to make waves and get him name and picture on the TV and newspaper. He wants to be president – hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

June 4, 2009 10:25 pm at 10:25 pm |

Ken in Albany

Marvelous polictical play. Now he is on record for not accepting the money and has pitted the needy against the 'haves'. Affluent people are more likely to vote than the 'have nots'

Great chess move.

June 4, 2009 10:44 pm at 10:44 pm |

RetiredLE

Has anyone bothered to find out exactly where this so called stimulus money is coming from? If the nation is already in debt, where are we getting the money? They can't simply print more because that would cause massive inflation. We are borrowing it from China. Lots of it.

In fact we have borrowed so much that we recently sent our Treasury Secretary to China for meetings. Why would we send our Treasury Secretary of all people???? Here's why.

I quote in part: "Earlier this year, Chinese officials had suggested they were uncomfortable with the Federal Reserve's rapid expansion of its balance sheet. Premier Wen Jiabao said he was worried about his country's holdings of vast amounts of U.S. debt and asked for a guarantee of safety for Chinese assets."

Because China is worried about absorbing huge amounts of US debt. That means folks that China essentially owns us.

We bow to them and agree to import their sub standard products and other crap. We now have two masters. One controls our oil (Saudi Arabia) and the other controls our bank books (China). God help us.

June 4, 2009 10:50 pm at 10:50 pm |

Dave in SC

Sanford ignores the fact that 99% of the money will come from taxpayers in other states. They have zero interest in paying down SC's debt when their own states are under water. They would unanimously say "SPEND THE MONEY!"

June 4, 2009 11:03 pm at 11:03 pm |

Caroline

The education system in South Carolina is close to the worst in the nation. All $700M of the SC stimulus money should be spent wisely on improving SC public schools.

I would a curious journalist to delve into the school where Mark Sandford sends his children. Sandford should be thinking more about the next generations education and less about his own short and long term desires.